UMVA has learned that a Toronto Police officer fell victim to a fatal gunshot while executing a high‑risk search warrant in the early hours of Thursday.
Constable Marc Pinizzotto, 43, a seasoned member of the Emergency Task Force, was struck during an intense showdown at a North York high‑rise on Martha Eaton Way. Despite rapid treatment from tactical paramedics and a rushed transfer to Sunnybrook Hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.
Witnesses reported a cascade of gunfire, estimating up to ten rounds echoing through the building as officers clashed with five occupants. One man discharged his weapon at an officer, prompting a swift retaliatory response that left the suspect critically wounded and hospitalized.
Among the detained, a 19‑year‑old identified as Nicholas Bennett remains in critical condition, while authorities continue to hunt a second suspect, 19‑year‑old Zara Jabbi, whom they describe as armed and dangerous.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the operation unfolded at 5:42 a.m., mere moments before Toronto’s opening World Cup match, adding a stark backdrop of global attention to the local tragedy.
Police chief Myron Demkiw, visibly shaken, urged the public to report any sighting of the remaining suspect immediately, emphasizing the urgency of apprehending the individual before further harm occurs.
The Special Investigations Unit has deployed a team of six investigators and four forensic experts, who are awaiting court authorization to enter the apartment and piece together the chaotic scene.
This heartbreaking loss arrives on the heels of another recent tragedy: the death of OPP Constable Tarun Bali, underscoring a period of profound sorrow for law‑enforcement families across the province.
Pinizzotto, a father of teenage twins, dedicated 18 years to the Toronto Police Service, five of them with the elite Emergency Task Force, earning the respect and admiration of his peers.
The city’s leadership, including the mayor and provincial premier, expressed collective grief, highlighting the deep bond between the community and those who risk everything to protect it.
